Ricardo Castro
MADRID, SPAIN
Introducing Ricardo Castro! Ricardo lives in Madrid and is an award-winning International flamenco dancer and photographer. He specialises in fine-art portraiture. However not only does he capture a subjects face... but also their being, their soul and a sense of movement which makes for some beautiful narrative. Take a walk down this 'mini Louvre' of this renaissance feel of imagery and expression that is the work of Ricardo Castro!
"As a dancer, I tell stories and move audiences with the emotion expressed both in my body my face, using movement, rhythm, line, and the dance with light as it illuminates or obscures me. My portraits (and self-portraits) call on those same elements, seeking to tell equally powerful stories, but in stillness, in a single frame."
Ricardo's work can be found here.
More about Ricardo's dance can be found here.
"I discovered Richard Wood´s “Creative Portrait Series” and “Painterly Portraits” courses last year when looking for a way to bring the same depth of feeling and passion to my photography that I bring to my dancing and choreography. I was forced to take a break from dancing while recovering from surgery for a serious injury, and it was the perfect time to devote myself to that goal. Discovering Richard, his photography and his courses were exactly the inspiration and guidance I needed to work through that difficult period, and to take my photography to the next level. I had been looking at many courses and teachers online, but none of them helped me create that extra sense of magic and heightened reality that moves me so deeply when I go to the Prado and view works by the Masters. Richard’s courses were the ones that finally helped me learn how to make my photographs express the depth of emotion that I wanted them to.
"I have been photographing dancers for many years, but thanks to Richard and the painterly portrait style I learned from him, I am finally able to capture the same level of drama and intensity in my photos that I feel when I dance. I used to worry whether or not I would be able to create photographs that were as impactful as I wanted them to be. Now, I have no doubt I can give them the highest expression possible, thanks to Richard’s precise and thorough instruction. He makes the steps so clear, and shares them in such a positive and supportive way, that now I approach every project with excitement and confidence. From posing to styling, composition, compositing and retouching/post-production, I view every element—the light, the textures, colors and shapes—as opportunities to experiment, grow, and communicate my artistic vision successfully. I cannot recommend his courses highly enough."
